Hafnium (Hf): Uses, Supply Chain and Market
Facts checked against sources on . How we check facts.
Hafnium is produced from zirconium chemical intermediates, and its leading use is in superalloys. USGS does not estimate US net import reliance for hafnium. Hafnium is on the US, EU and Australian critical minerals lists.
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official critical minerals lists (US, EU, Australia, Canada) that include hafnium
Which countries produce hafnium?
USGS says world primary hafnium production data and quantitative estimates of hafnium reserves were not available. The leading global exporters of unwrought hafnium were China and Germany. In the United States, hafnium metal is produced from zirconium chemical intermediates by one producer in Oregon and one in Utah.
What is hafnium used for?
USGS does not give an end-use split for hafnium.
- Superalloys: the leading use of hafnium metal
- Nuclear reactor control rods: hafnium can replace indium in control rod alloys
How much does hafnium cost?
USGS reports the average 2025 price of hafnium at $3,800/kg (hafnium, unwrought). EarthRarest, our sister business, lists Hf + Zr min. 99.9% (Zr < 0.2%) metal bar at $14,144.15/kg. Full hafnium price page.
Is hafnium a critical mineral?
Hafnium is on the US, EU and Australian critical minerals lists. Each government builds its list with its own method, so a mineral can be critical in one place and not in another.
| Jurisdiction | Status |
|---|---|
| United States | Critical mineral (final 2025 list) |
| European Union | Critical |
| Australia | Critical minerals list |
| Canada | Not listed |
Lists last checked against the primary publications on October 12, 2026. See the comparison of all four lists.
What are the substitutes for hafnium?
| Application | Substitute and trade-off |
|---|---|
| Nuclear control rods | Boron or cadmium-silver-indium alloys |
| Certain superalloys | Zirconium can be used interchangeably with hafnium |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Zirconium and hafnium. USGS says substitutes often cost performance or money; the table gives its wording for each application.
Can hafnium be recycled?
USGS says hafnium metal recycling was minimal.
What are the supply risks and recent events for hafnium?
- 2025. US exports of unwrought hafnium decreased while imports increased. US imports of unwrought hafnium were 72 tons and wrought hafnium 12 tons in the salient statistics, against 64 tons and 13 tons in 2024.
US import sources, 2021 to 2024. Unwrought hafnium: Germany, 54%; China, 21%; France, 12%; United Kingdom, 8%; and other, 5%. Wrought hafnium: Germany, 68%; China, 14%; France, 9%; Italy, 7%; and other, 2%. (USGS)
Resources. World resources of hafnium are associated with those of zircon and baddeleyite. Quantitative estimates of hafnium resources were not available.
Which companies produce or process hafnium?
| Company | Country | Role | What the source says |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATI | United States (Millersburg, Oregon and Huntsville, Alabama) | Producer of zirconium, hafnium and niobium alloys (NYSE: ATI) | Its 2025 10-K says production of zirconium, hafnium, niobium and related specialty alloys takes place at facilities in Millersburg, Oregon and Huntsville, Alabama, names the United States and China as its hafnium sources, and says its electronics products include metal precursors made with chemicals ATI produces, such as hafnium. USGS says one producer in Oregon and one in Utah made hafnium metal in 2025 and does not name them. The 10-K gives no hafnium volume. ATI Inc., Form 10-K for 2025 (filed 20 February 2026) |
| Westinghouse Electric Company (Western Zirconium plant) | United States (Ogden, Utah) | Maker of finished and semi-finished hafnium and zirconium alloy products | Its ISO 9001 certificate lists the Western Zirconium Plant at 10,000 West 900 South, Ogden, for manufacture of finished and semi-finished zirconium-based alloy and hafnium products, and excludes the extraction process that makes zirconium and hafnium sponge from the certified scope. It gives no volume. Westinghouse Electric Company: ISO 9001 certificate of approval (issued 13 March 2024, expires 30 November 2026) |
| Framatome | France (Jarrie plant) | Producer of hafnium as a derivative of nuclear grade zirconium | Nuclear Engineering International reported on 5 December 2023 that Framatome had invested in new separative capacity at Jarrie, reinforcing its production of hafnium and zirconium alloys for the nuclear, aerospace, defense and space industries. The article describes hafnium as a derivative of nuclear grade zirconium production and gives no amount or capacity. Nuclear Engineering International: "Framatome strengthens hafnium production" (5 December 2023), a trade press report of Framatome's investment |
Each row links to the document that supports it. The list is not exhaustive and is not a ranking.
Frequently asked questions
What is hafnium used for?
Hafnium is used in superalloys and nuclear reactor control rods. Superalloys: the leading use of hafnium metal.
Where is hafnium produced?
USGS says world primary hafnium production data and quantitative estimates of hafnium reserves were not available. The leading global exporters of unwrought hafnium were China and Germany.
Is hafnium a critical mineral?
Yes. Hafnium is on the US, EU and Australian critical minerals lists. Hafnium was already on the 2022 US list and stays on the final 2025 list of 60 minerals. USGS does not estimate US net import reliance for hafnium.
How much does hafnium cost?
USGS reports the average 2025 price of hafnium at $3,800/kg (hafnium, unwrought). EarthRarest, our sister business, lists Hf + Zr min. 99.9% (Zr < 0.2%) metal bar at $14,144.15/kg (5 kg metal bar), read on October 14, 2026; a dealer list price covers one grade and pack size and is not a market benchmark.
Sources
Read on October 14, 2026. Figures on this page come from these documents; where a number is an estimate, the source says so.
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Zirconium and hafnium. Production, reserves, uses, substitutes, recycling and events
- Federal Register: Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals
- EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2024/1252
- Department of Industry, Science and Resources: Australia’s Critical Minerals List and Strategic Materials List
- Government of Canada: Canada’s critical minerals
- EarthRarest price list. Dealer list price, read October 14, 2026; our sister business
- ATI Inc., Form 10-K for 2025 (filed 20 February 2026)
- Westinghouse Electric Company: ISO 9001 certificate of approval (issued 13 March 2024, expires 30 November 2026)
- Nuclear Engineering International: "Framatome strengthens hafnium production" (5 December 2023), a trade press report of Framatome's investment
Related topics
Hafnium price
The price page for hafnium.
Hafnium supply chain and top producers
The supply chain page for hafnium.
Critical Minerals Lists Compared
The US, EU, Australian and Canadian lists side by side.
Export Controls and Restrictions
China, Indonesia, DR Congo and other measures with dates.
Chromium
Profile of chromium.
Niobium
Profile of niobium.
